Can You See God

Photograph of Jesus arisen from the tomb, third day after His death.  Photograph taken at Church of St Anthony of Padua in the year April 2010.  

Can You See God?

A small boy once approached his slightly older sister with a question about God. "Susie, can anybody ever really see God?" he asked. 

Busy with other things, Susie curtly replied,  "No, of course not silly. God is so far up in heaven that nobody can see him." 

Time passed, but his question still lingered. So he approached his mom, "Mom, can anybody ever really see God?" 

"No, not really," she gently said. "God is a spirit and he dwells in our hearts, but we can never really see Him." 

Somewhat satisfied but still wondering, the youngster went on his way.  Not long afterwards, his saintly old grandfather took the little boy on a fishing trip. They were having a great time together. The sun was beginning to set with unusual splendor and the grandfather stared silently at the exquisite beauty unfolding before them.  On seeing the face of his grandfather reflecting such deep peace and contentment, the little boy thought for a moment and finally spoke hesitatingly, "Granddad, I--I-- wasn't going to ask anybody else, but I wonder if you can tell me the answer to something I've been wondering about a long time. Can anybody - can anybody ever really see God?"

The old man did not even turn his head.  A long moment slipped by before he finally answered. "Son," he quietly said. 

"It's getting so I can't see anything else."

                           Saul falls to the ground as he sees a bright light and hears a voice.

About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?  (Acts 22:6,7)

Just like what Saul had encountered Jesus in the bible as a bright light, I too have encounter God in the same way one night in the year of 2008.  I was lying on bed and I was transcended.  My eyes were closed, but I could see very bright light and it flashes three times, as though taking photographs.  After that I hear sound, various sound like that of the wolves, and so on.  This continue until the early morning and the whole night I never sleep at all.  In the morning, I heard the sound of trumpet.  And it was the sound of victory over sins...

The Precious Gift

Photograph of a white dove spotted at my neigbourhood while our family was walking to church on 10 April 2010, my first time in my life encountering a real white dove.  

What is your Precious Gift?  

Once upon a time, when God had finished making the world, he wanted to leave behind a piece of His own divinity, a spark of His essence, a promise to man of what he could become, with effort. He looked for a place to hide this precious gift because He explained, "what man could find too easily would never be valued by him." 

"Then you must hide this gift on the highest mountain peak on earth," said one of his counselors. 

 God shook His head, "No, for man is an adventuresome creature and he will soon enough learn to climb the highest mountain peaks." 

 "Hide it then, O Great One, in the depths of the earth." 

 "I think not," said God. "for man will one day discover that he can dig into the deepest parts of the earth." 

 "In the middle of the ocean then, Master?" 

 God shook His head. "I've given man a brain.  You see, one day he'll learn to build ships and cross the mightiest oceans." 

 "Where then, Master?" cried His counselors. 

 God smiled, "I'll hide it where every man and woman will be able to find it if they look sincerely and deeply enough. I'll hide it in their heart."

Photograph of Jesus risen from the tomb on Easter day, photograph taken at Church of St Anthony of Padua on 4 April 2010

My precious gift is that I had found God after 38 years of my life.  Jesus came to me in the year 2008 when I encountered Him on my bed early in the morning when I woke up on 8 March 2008, international women day.  It is a gift that cannot be seen, and it is only to be felt in the heart... a valuable gift that cannot be bought with money.  To add on to what I had felt, I found the white dove and parallel to that, the church was decorated with the White Jesus arisen from the tomb.  What a real coincidence, fate or destiny that was already planned?  Jesus often taught in parables.  This is a parable that he had taught me!  The white dove walking with the spotted doves and black doves -- signified that the Master is walking with the sinners!  Jesus had saved my life, a sinner who had sinned!